The molecular mechanisms that promote excitatory synapse development have been extensively studied. However, the molecular events preventing precocious excitatory synapse development so that synapses form at the correct time and place are less well understood. Here, we report the functional characterization of ARHGAP12, a previously uncharacterized Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) in the brain. ARHGAP12 is specifically expressed in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, where it localizes to the postsynaptic compartment of excitatory synapses. ARHGAP12 negatively controls spine size via its RhoGAP activity and promotes, by interacting with CIP4, postsynaptic AMPA receptor endocytosis. Arhgap12 knockdown results in precocious maturation of excitatory synapses, as indicated by a reduction in the proportion of silent synapses. Collectively, our data show that ARHGAP12 is a synaptic RhoGAP that regulates excitatory synaptic structure and function during development.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.01.037 | DOI Listing |
J Phys Chem Lett
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Atomic and Molecular Physics and Functional Materials of Gansu Province, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
Research on memristive devices to seamlessly integrate and replicate the dynamic behaviors of biological synapses will illuminate the mechanisms underlying parallel processing and information storage in the human brain, thereby affording novel insights for the advancement of artificial intelligence. Here, an artificial electric synapse is demonstrated on a one-step Mo-selenized MoSe memristor, having not only long-term stable resistive switching characteristics (reset 0.51 ± 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElife
January 2025
Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
The ability to extinguish contextual fear in a changing environment is crucial for animal survival. Recent data support the role of the thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) and its projections to the dorsal hippocampal CA1 area (RE→dCA1) in this process. However, it remains poorly understood how RE impacts dCA1 neurons during contextual fear extinction (CFE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Neurosci
January 2025
National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Gurugram, 122052, Haryana, India.
Delta-opioid receptors (δ-ORs) are known to be involved in associative learning and modulating motivational states. We wanted to study if they were also involved in naturally-occurring reinforcement learning behaviors such as vocal learning, using the zebra finch model system. Zebra finches learn to vocalize early in development and song learning in males is affected by factors such as the social environment and internal reward, both of which are modulated by endogenous opioids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Neurobiol
January 2025
Laboratory of Neurobiology, Centro de Investigaciones Medico Sanitarias (CIMES), University of Malaga, Calle Marqués de Beccaria, 3, Campus Teatinos s/n, 29010, Malaga, Spain.
Tetrameric AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors are primary transducers of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, and their properties and abundance at the synaptic surface are crucial determinants of synaptic efficacy in neuronal communication across the brain. The induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) leads to the insertion of GluA1-containing AMPA receptors at the synaptic surface, whereas during long-term depression (LTD), these receptors are internalized into the cytoplasm of the spine. Disruptions in the trafficking of AMPA receptors to and from the synaptic surface attenuate both forms of synaptic plasticity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPain
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
The insular cortex (IC) processes various sensory information, including nociception, from the trigeminal region. Repetitive nociceptive inputs from the orofacial area induce plastic changes in the IC. Parvalbumin-immunopositive neurons (PVNs) project to excitatory neurons (pyramidal neurons [PNs]), whose inputs strongly suppress the activities of PNs.
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